Waukegan High School Varsity Softball Coach

[bruce]

I wish people cared this much when Waukegan was cutting sports and coaches about 12 years ago.

[cocoadimples]

Im a Waukegan student and played for coach. I am not in college yet like the previous person. I agree with some of what snoopy says (LOL) but not all of it, and I agree with swright11 too with some of her comments. I like coach as a person and don’t want to see him get fired from the school. He has a wife and cute little baby to take care of and I know he needs his teaching job at the school.

I am not the best player in the world, but Im good. Ive been playing for many years as I hear other players who replied here have also. I think the coach is a good man at school. He makes us laugh. He really does. But on the softball field, he’s different. You are asking for info. Yes in the last game we were sad partly because it was our last game of the season. But we were also upset because he had told us that he was completely humiliated by the way we played and that the only person who had shown up to play was him. He also said some other nasty things, but that isn't important. This wasn’t a 1x thing. It happens often. I’m sure it isn't his goal to make us feel bad, but he puts us down a lot. Instead of ending on a positive note he kicked us when we were down. Isn’t he supposed to encourage us? I know he’s human and makes mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. But teenage girls arent perfect either. If he was a volunteer Id unerstand, but I think he gets paid. Either way, he shouldn't tear us down. I know my friends in basketball say th same thing.

If you need any public proof for how he puts us down, just look at when he told the newspaper. And he must have been on his best bbehavior. He had said there is only one good player on his team and she was let down becasuse her team did not support her, that she would be doing much better if she had better players behind her is insulting. It upset us all and it divided our team a little. She's great but saying she doesn’t have a team backing her up is wrong. What does that say for the rest of us who playde and practiced so hard? I’m sure he wishes he could’ve taken it back, but if he said it, he must truly believe that we suck. What does that do for our confidence and motivation? But we could’ve been one of the best teams Waukegan has ever seen. Maybe not the best, but ONE of the best. I have to admit, there were some really good teams before us. Maybe looking at our record you would disagree. But with our ace pitcher and the supporting team, it was posible. Almost every girl on our team has played travel and they don’t play in the easy leagues like I read about some of the other teams. One of us plays for Kenosha Cyclones which is excellent. 4 of us play at Warren Wave which traveled to different parts of the country and beat many State Champs. 4 have played on other travel teams. We have trophies to prove it. But sadly in High School we can’t we even beat Grayslake. We have a losing record. To say that there isn’t any talent here isn’t true. The talent is here. And you’re right, it isn't just the coach. The Coach cannot be blamed for everything. He isn't alone. Its the players too. Its probably the parents as well. But the coach and the school have to work with what they got. And they have a lot. They have to take SOME of the blame. Wouldn't you agreee?

We just want to play. I can play for anyone. I can even play for Coach again because Im proud to be from Waukegan and play for Waukegn. Wauk-towns in my blood. We just need somebody who will support us & not put us down and will teach us. Really teach us like they do in travel. I know they say time heals wounds, and most of us have alraedy forgotten about the issues, so maybe it isn't a big deal anymore. Who knows. And if you fully support the varsity coach without any concerns ask yourself have you ever been on the receiving end of one of his attakcs? If not, you’re fortunate or maybe you’re one of his favorites. Maybe try seeing it from another prospective. Also Softball is our sport. it keeps us out of trouble. We are involved in something good. I am not in Schuler, so I woun'dt mind a scholarship to help me. This is important. It is part of our education experience. As it is, I know the “supposed” starting pitcher next year is not even sure if she’s gonna play anymore because of all these issues. Some of the others too. That would be very sad. Thank you.

[JazminH]

I wish people cared this much when Waukegan was cutting sports and coaches about 12 years ago.

I wish people cared even half this much about the total academic failure of our high school

[cocoadimples]

I hate to say it but it’s almost like if you are a minority you are yelled at & made fun of, and if you arent, you’re ok. I hope this isnt tru. Either way its my opinion and the opinion of others but it feels like it sometimes. Just look at the girls who have quit, were kicked off the team or almost quit. I wont mention any names but its true. maybe its just a cultural thing. Maybe we are just too sensitive and just need thicker skin. We and our less educated parents unfortunately just have to shut up and take it. Anyone who knows the team this year and last, knows its true. Everyone knows which girls and parents like him, and they don't loo k like me. I wonder. Must be a coincidence. But we don't get that same feeling from coach ramsey or coach z. :cry:

[re-usable]

That’s some tough stuff to deal with to be sure. Coach might need some training there. Don’t really know him though, and never had a daughter of mine play for him.
Jazminh, I sure wouldn’t say WHS is a total failure for academics. Struggling on average, but there are a lot of success stories as well, not as many as we would all like to see.
Anyway, the coach kept his job, good thing for the coach. It seems though that the bar has been raised for his involvement in development, also a good thing for the coach. He will find himself with much better prepared players overall. That will ultimately make his job go much smoother, while providing the players a more enjoyable high school experience. While on the subject of softball development, great that we now have middle school softball again, better if these girls had a chance to play other communities. Waukegan is its own worse enemy in this regard. Like our middle schools, the girl’s softball program was just big enough to play games against each other. Once they stepped out of the sheltered program they got wumped on by the other teams. (recent history, not the Waukegan of old I’ve heard about on these boards) That is why there are attempts being made by a few good folks to take the girls to travel ball. With the current middle school schedule the results will be similar. The girls will only become good enough to compete with the other Waukegan teams, once they start high school they will be playing with teams that have already been playing other communities and have learned from one another. For a lot of these girls it will be a call to action to get better and they will respond with a passion. Unfortunately it takes time to learn to hit good pitching and longer to become a good pitcher. With proper training some will pick up the hitting before leaving high school, but it’s rare that a pitcher can develop the skills needed to compete at the varsity level starting from their freshman year, It takes time to learn to throw good breaking stuff, and with the mound moving back 3 feet the fastball only pitchers will get used for batting practice at the varsity level. It wouldn’t take much, just get them out to a couple other towns during the season so they can get an idea of what they need to do early enough for them to get started doing it before high school.

[Snoopy]

It was indeed an interesting meeting this evening. I was glad to provide a voice for young ladies of Waukegan, however disgusting it was as I was accused. I heard a board member relate the fact that she received three times the amount of emails suggesting a difference of opinion of three eloquent young ladies in support of the Varsity Coach.
The bottom line of this entire argument, is that Waukegan Girls deserve the best we have to offer them. Period.
Our elected School Board made a decision with information provided to them, they have an athletic director that they hired to do the job, and a principal to run his school. They choose the coach, and I must trust their judgement, as they were elected to do so, whether I agree or not.
I realized from the very beginning I would be fighting a very unpopular fight, and do not regret a minute of it, as it is for kids that feared retaliation for speaking their words. Waukegan Softball will become even greater because of it.
Now we have to embrace and support the Coach of these programs, as it is the right thing to do. It is time to set aside all of our differences and build a great program that will make headlines for Waukegan Softball like Boy's basketball did this spring. Good luck Coach.
Shawn White
224-381-2834
Good thoughts Re.. I hope we can all have one effort to bring a state championship to our girls. They are good enough!

[Historian Frank]

Mr. White,
Let me paint a picture for you: (the people in this paragraph have absolutely no resemblance to real people...none what so ever, i promise) A 14u coach wants to continue coaching the kids into high school and hes related to a school board member. The director of the second-rate travel program in which this 14u team plays is a bit thirsty and delusional in how much juice he has with the locals, so he attempts a coup in which a perfectly good varsity softball coach is thrust under the microscope. Emails are sent out, meetings are attended, message boards are trolled...all under the guise of improving the varsity softball program.

This is all just fiction, of course...and has nothing to do with you.

I find your reasons for the replacement of the coach ridiculous. Summer programs take a few years to establish (it took boys baseball 3-4 years to really gain momentum and a few years after that to be reflected in the win/loss record) You also humbly request that the softball team compete for state championships. Good luck with that. Competing for those starts at age 8 or 9, so I hope you did your "job"....and judging by your travel program's record, you haven't. Your title IX arguments are also invalid, as gender quality in sports is not measured by win/loss records, rather the distribution of funds and choices. You want the best possible education for your children, sports and academically, and everyone understands that. But you're teaching them a hell of a lesson by playing politics with a mans livelihood.

The next time you want to get a good man fired, do it anonymously.

[countymounty]

historian Frank,

Couldnt have said it better myself.

Good for the school board except for rita who put hetr reputation on the line to go with a guy that everyone knows is out there. I think Shawn L White should step down from travel director for having losing records and playing teams that are not giving the girls a fair shot to play the best competition. And to the girls that are playing, keep working hard, keep a good attitude, and have a great experience.

[WkgnBorn&Raised]

At the next school board meeting there will be a public hearing regarding a bond issue. Hope as many people show up on Aug. 25 as did last night for the softball coach.

[swright11]

I'm really happy to see that Coach Piercy will continue to coach softball. He's a hell of a coach and I wouldn't be where I am in my softball career with out him and Shane Schuenaman. I was apart of the most successful teams in WHS Softball (20+wins/season) and I can not imagine that he's doing something different now from then. It wasn't like we just showed up and it all came together. It takes time and dedication from the athletes and coaches. Hopefully Waukegan can get back to that level that we once were sometime in the near future.